Stitch-controller for crochet-machines.



S. W. AVIS.'

STITCH CONTROLLER FOR CROCHET MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 0013.7. 1913.

1,125,437. Patented Jan.,19, 1915.

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Wwmzsszs- INVENTOR- MWQM HIS ATTORNEYS- NORRIS PETERS CO PHDTGLITHO., WASHINGTON. D. C.

s. w. Aids. STITGH CONTROLLER FOR CROCHET MACHINES. APPLIiGATION FILED 0012"], 1913.

1512 5,437; Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

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HS ATTORNEYS- S. W. AVIS. STITCH CONTROLLER FOR CROCHET MACHINES. APPLIGATION FILED 00127. 1913.

1,125,437, Patented Jan. 19, 191-5.

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SAMUEL W'. AVIS, HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MERROW MACHINE COMPANY, OF HART-FORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

STITCH-CONTROLLER FOR CROCHET-MACHINES.

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Specification of mass Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

Application filed October 7,1913 Serial No. 793,910.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. Avis, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Hartford, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stitch-Controllers for Crochet-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference thereon.

This invention relates to overedge sewing machines and more particularly to the variety known as crochet machines, which by means of one or more thread carrying implements and a looping implement, form thread or threads into 'anornamental border or into a fabric, formed of crochet stitches. Machines of this nature are disclosed in United States Patents No. 497,587 issued May 16, 1893 to Joseph M. Merrow and John T. Collins and, No. 1,045,163 issued November 26, 1912 to Joseph M. Merrow.

The general object of this invention is to provide an improved form of stitch controller and improved mechanism for ac tuating the same whereby more perfect and 7 more symmetrical stitches may be formed,

whereby the conditions existing during the formation of a stitch may be improved, and whereby the formation of the stitch may be better controlled. l

The object is, further, to provide a stitch controller that in its operation is affected little if at all by ordinary difierences in the thickness of the fabric, that will not retard or distort the stitches or the fabric during the feeding movement, that will act as a form around which the purl or edge loops may be-formed, that will, in the case of machines employing crochet hooks with latches, positively hold back loops on the crochet hook while the latch of the hook passes through the loops, that will easily shed the loops and stitches that are formed around it or laid over it and that may be easily adjusted.

With these and other objects 1n view, my

invention consists in certain new and useful mechanism, in the construction, in the con bination and in the relation of the parts thereof, as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed;

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front ele vation of a crochet machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation, looking from the left of Fig. 1, of my invention and of the portion of the machine to which my invention is applied. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the mechanism of my invention. Figs. 4: to '8 inclusive are diagrams, in perspective on an enlarged scale, showing five successive points in the operation of my invention during a single stitch forming cycle. Fig. 9 is a left hand elevation of the lower portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1 with the feed cover removed to display the feeding mechanism. Fig. 10 is a front elevation of a portion of the machine showing the feeding mechanism.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings, like characters of reference denote the same parts.

The invention as illustrated in the drawings is in form especially adapted for use in connection with crochet machines of the well known Merrow type, and is shown as applied to a Merrow shell stitch crochet machine wherein:

lhe numeral '1 denotes the eye pointed needle, 2 the needle clamp for securing the needle to the needle bar 3, which is reciprocated through the needle bar clamp 4, the link 5, the lever 6 and the pitman 7 by the ball eccentric 8 formed on the hand wheel 9 which is mounted on and secured to the shaft 10 mounted in the frame 44.

Upon the shaft 10 is mounted and secured the cam 11 which has gear connection with the cam 12 which, in turn is mounted on and secured to the shaft 13. The grooves 11 and 12 of the cams 11 and 12 engage the arms 31 and 31 of the crochet hook carrier 31 and thereby impart the usual vibratory reciprocating action to the crochet hook 30, whereby the said hook operates to grasp: the needle thread below the needle plate 4:2 and, traveling around the edge of the chaining finger 41, grasps the needle thread together with the supplemental thread above the chaining finger and interloops the said threads while again traveling around the edge of the chaining finger as is usual in crochet machines V The end of thesuppleniental thread carrier is vibrated. across the path of the needle and over the path of the hook by the rock shaft 21 which is oscillated by the lever 22 which, in turn is held in operative engagement with the peripheral cam l2 by the spring 23. V V.

The numeralAlOindicates the presser foot, 42 the feed dog slot, 42 the needle hole and 43 the work plate. In this machine thefeedeight times the, size of the pinion 7:2 and.

ing of the fabric occurs after a series of stitches has been formed, penetrating the fabric at or near the same point, as shown in Fig. 5 which is accomplished by an intermittently acting "feed, a common form of which is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 in which the feed dog 60 is provided with a stud 61 and is supported and adapted to reciprocate in a channel in the feed dog carrier 62 which latter is pivoted to the lower part of the work plate on a stud 63, and is pressed downward by the compression spring 64. I

The feed dog pin 61 projects into the upper. slotted end of the angle lever 65 which is pivotally supported on the stud 66 secured in the base 41% of the machine, and is provided .with a slot 67 forthe adjustment of the bolt 68 which is surrounded by a roll 69 of greater diameterthan the width of the slot 67 and of smaller diameter than the hole in the lower end of the connection70 making an operating adjustable joint therewith, while the upper end of the said connection surrounds the eccentric 71 attached to the main shaft 10 and as the latter revolves the feed dog is reciprocated longitudinally. The. feed must however be raised into operative position at the proper time or times which raising is accomplished in the follow- .ing manner viz. The outer end of the main shaft 10 is provided with a pinion 72 which in this case is made integral with the said shaft and meshes into the feed raising gear 73 which runs on the stud 74: attached to a blcck75 which in turn is secured to the base of the machine.

' The feed gear 73 in the present case is therefore revolves only once to eight complete revrlutions of the main shaft 10 and eight cycles of the stitch forming mechanism. At each revolution of the feed gear 73 the cam 76 attached to the rear face of said gear acts upon the roll 77 on the pin 78 secured in the face end of the lever 79 which is pivoted uponthe stud 80 secured to the base of the machine.

face end of the feed dog carrier 62, and rests upon the roll- 77- and as the latter is acted upon by the cam 7 6 the feed dog carrier is raised and with it the 'feed dog so that the teeth ofthe feed dog will project above the upper surface of the work plate.

The gear withits cam176is so timed thatthe feed dog will be raisedator near the forward end of its stroke 71. 6. near its extreme right hand position in Fig. '9 and will be held raised by the narrower end of the cam 7 6 until thefeed dcg israt or near its ex} treme forward or left hand position of Fig.

9thus carrying thefabric forward'once for every eight revolutions of the mam shaft and consequently for every eight cycles of the st'itch forming'mechanism thus producing eight needle penetrations of the fabric at substantially one point and producing a like number of loopings of the threads beyond the edge of the fabric. When the cam 76 passes the roll 77 the spring 6% acts to carry the feed dog carrier and the feed dog downward until the pin 78 restsupon the block or stop 82 which is attached tothe Itwill be observed 7 that the feed deg recip'rocates longitudinally once for each revolution of the main shaft base of the machine.

each revolution of the mainshaft the needle will penetrate the fabric once onl'yat one point inthefabric and the result willbe the plain crochet stitch. Such an arrangement'is common in practice.

The machine thus far described represents an ordinary shell stitch machine ofthe Merrow type. 7

Throughout the drawings, the supplemental thread and the loops ofthis thread are shown as twisted strands while the needle thread and the needle thread loops are shown plain.

Referring againflto the drawings, I will proceed to describe the single embodiment of my invention shown. The numeral 50 denotes the stitch con trolling horn or reciprocating implement The crank pin. 13 is formed or mounted on the end of the i shaft 13. The wedge 81 is adjustably secured to the The cover 54, which consists,j'preferably, of a single plece comprehending a recess in whichthe carrier 51 operates and an oil 7 well 54* communicating through an oil hole (not shown) with the said recess, is secured to the frame by means of the screws 53 and 55. The recess for the carrier 51 is clearly indicated in Fig. 2 in dotted lines and the depending portion of the cover shown contacting with the left side of the carrier in Fig. l is an extension of the outer wall of the cover 54 between the inner face of which cover and the face t i of the machine frame 44, the carrier 51 is freely held and thus laterally constrained. The inner surface of the outer wall of the cover 54 also serves to keep the block 56 in place against the end of the shaft 13, which end is flush with the face 44:.

The oil well 54: is preferably filled with some absorbent substance to form a wick which may be saturated with oil through an oil hole (not shown) in the upper wall of the said oil well and thus the mechanism within the cover 5& is kept properly lubricated.

Regarding the operation of the mechanism of my invention, the crank pin 13 by means of the block 56 which has sliding engagement with the yoked portion 51 of the carrier, imparts a vibratory motion to the said carrier, swinging the horn 50 through an are as shown in Fig. 3. The osition of the horn 53 shown in Fig. 2,.in Fig. 5 and in the dotted. lines in Fig. 3, represents it approximately at one end of its stroke; and the position in which the horn is shown in Fig. 8 andv in the full lines in Fig. 3, represents it approximately at the other end of its stroke.

The operation of a machine provided with my improvements is as follows, to wit: The needle 1 and the supplemental thread car rier 20. having been provided with thread as usual, the needle carries its thread down through the fabric and the crochet hook 30 grasps the thread at one side of the needle below the needle plate and fabric and draws a loop of needle thread outward and around the chaining finger 41. The hook then moves forward over the fabric and on its return grasps the needle thread together with the supplemental thread, drawing a loop of each of these threads through the loop of needle thread previously brought up from below the fabric. Up to thispoint only an incomplete stitch has been made and there are now only two loops of thread, (one of the needle thread and one of the supplemental thread), carried by the cro-' chet hook but as the hook advances and the needle carries its thread again down through the fabric, the hook again grasps the needle thread from belowand draws a loop thereof, and then, the hook carries three loops of the threads as it moves in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4. While the crochet hook is below the &

chaining finger, the horn 50 moves into the position indicated in Fig. 4, passing over the loop or bar of needle thread extending from the needle hole to the edge of the chaining finger, and passing over the supplemental thread which extends from its carrier into the loops just beyond the edge of the chaining finger. Now, as the crochet hook continues its movement outward and upward, the loops of thread are carried into engagement with the horn 50 and, as the hook moves forward over the chaining finger, the fabric and the horn 50, the three loops carried by the crochet hook are held back by the horn 50 until the latch 30 of the hook has passed through these loops and the several implements have assumed the positions indicated in Fig. 5.

In the Fig. 5, the letter F indicates the fabric, the numeral &0 indicates, in dotted lines, the location of the lower part of the presser foot upon the fabric and the arrow upon the fabric indicates the direction of feed of the fabric. In the Figs. 4, 6, 7, and 8 the fabric is omitted for the sake of clearness.

It will be seen, in Fig. 5, that the horn 50 has held back the edge loops and has prevented them from being carried unduly forward by the crochet hook and hence, the latch of the crochet hook is certain to pass through the loops carried by the hook and the edge loops will not be unduly displaced.

From the positions shown in Fig. 5, the carrier 20 carries the supplemental thread into the throat 30* of the crochet hook as the latter recedes and grasps the needle thread and the supplemental thread, carrying them to the positions shown in Fig. 6, when the supplemental thread is drawn against and around the horn 50 and, as the crochet hook continues its movement out ward and around the edge of the chaining finger, the horn 50 draws out of the loop of supplemental thread formed around it, as shown in Fig. 7, and as the hook passes downward, the surplus slack in the supple mental thread may be taken up by the movement of the hook as shown in Fig. 8. As the needle passes downward from the position shown in Fig. 8, the bar of needle thread extending from the needle to the edge loops slips 0d the point of the horn 50 so that the horn 50, when it again advances, will pass over the said bar of needle thread.

It will be seen that by suitably adjusting and timing the movements of the horn 50 the stitches or loops may be cast off by it earlier or later in the formation of the stitches and the size of the loops or their slackness may thus be controlled.

As the horn 50 moves back and forth substantially in the direction of the line of 7 feed, the loops upon the said horn 50 will be shed off easily, without its injuring the stitches or shells, or catching in the fabric.

Some of the great advantages of the devices of the present invention over devices heretofore in use are: that the stitches or loops formed around the horn 53 are free to slide off the horn when the fabric is fed along and hence, in the formation of shells the loops are clear of the horn soon after feeding begins and the supplemental thread loop at the junction of two shells or clusters of stitches, is inclined to draw tighter than the other loops thus emphasizing the rounded effect of the shell, and at no time does the horn 50 cause any undue obstrucs tion to the feeding of the fabric or shells. Moreover, the horn 50 is used to better advantage without contact with the presser foot and also it acts upon the needle thread as well as the supplemental thread and is, therefore, also useful in single thread crochet machines.

The horn 50 is outwardly and inwardly adjustable in its carrier 51, and laterally adjustable by partially rotating it upon its shank 50. It is held in position by the screw 52 and thus, when desired, horns of different length, size or form may be substituted according to requirements.

The devices of this invention are well suited for use in crochet machines provided with take ups or pull offs for one or both of the threads, and it is obvious that they are perfectly adapted for use in plain crochet machines wherein the feeding of the fabric occurs at each stitch, as well as in machines wherein the feeding occurs after several'stitches have been formed at substantially one point in the fabric.

'Having thus described a single embodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine of the class described including a needle, a needle plate, a feeding mechanism and a crochet hook, a stitch controller consisting in the combination of a stitch controlling implement having a stitch engaging portion adapted to operate longitudinally with its point extending in' the direction of the feed, the path of movement of the said portion of'thie implement intersecting the plane of the crochet hooks path at a'point above the needle plate, means'for supporting the implement and constraining the movements thereof, and mechanism for actuating the implement V substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth. I V

'2. In a crochet machine, the stitch form'- 7 ing mechanism of which includes a crochet hookreciprocating over and under a chain ing finger, the combination of an apparatus including an implement having a stitch engaging portion reciprocating endwise between the hook when elevated and the upper side of the chaining linger, in a path disposed at an angle to the path of the hook and extending longitudinally in the direction of the machines feed, means for supporting and carrying the implement, and nechanism for actuating the apparatus whereby the loops around the hook are held back by the implement as the hook advances. V V

3. In a crochet machine the stitch formcrochet hook reciprocating over and under a chaining finger, the combination of an apparatus including an implement moving lengthwise in a path extending longitudinally in the direction of the machines feed and passing through the plane of the hooks path of movement into and out of position to engage and hold the formed about the hook and below the threads drawn back by the hook, means for supporting and carrying the implement, and mechanism for actuating the apparatus whereby the loops around the hook are held positively againstthe movement of the hook while the latch thereof is being passed through the loops.

4. In combination in a crochet machine including an eye pointed needle, a needle plate, means for carrying a supplemental thread and a hook operating above and below the said needle plate, a stitch controller ineluding an implement reciprocating lengthwise above the needle'plate in a path extending longitudinally in the direction of the line of the machines feed and within the path of the hook, to move, during the stitch formingcycle, into position to have a supplemental thread loop formed around and tied down on the stitch engaging porloops previously tion of the said implement in the manner shown and described, whereby the size and looseness of the supplemental thread loops may be controlled, means for supporting and carrying the implement and mechanism for actuating the controller; e

5. In a crochet machine including means for carrying a'main thread, means for carrying a supplemental thread and a latched crochet hook reciprocating over and under the chainir'ig finger, the combination therewith of an apparatus comprisin an elongated implement interposed'between the hook and the chaining finger during the advance stroke and during the return stroke of the hook over the chainingfinger and reciprocatory lengthwise in a path extending in the direction of the machines feed,; whereby loops} on the said hook will'be; held by the implement against the longitudinal movement of the hook and around a portion of which implement a supplemental thread loop will be drawn by the hook, and means for supporting, carrying and operating the apparatus.

6. In a crochet machine, the stitch forming mechanism of which includes a reciprocating eye pointed needle and a crochet hook reciprocating over and'under a chaining finger, the combination therewith of an apparatus comprising an implement having a stitch engaging portion elongated in the direction of the line of feed, the said portion being adapted to reciprocate lon-v gitudinally in the direction of the machines feed in a path extending across the bars of needle thread on the chaining finger, means for supporting and carrying the implement and mechanism, cotiperating with the crechet hook and theneedle, whereby during the completion of the stitch forming a cycle, the bars of needle thread laid over the operative portion of the implement may be shed oil oi the implement.

7. In a machine of the class described, embodying a feeding mechanism and a stitch forming mechanism, the latter including' a needle, a carrier for a supplemental thread and a crochet hook, the combination therewith of a stitch controller comprising an implement having a stitch engaging portion extending in the direction of the line of feed, the said portion being adapted to reciprocate over the fabric in a path extending longitudinally in the direction of the line of feed, providing means around which a supplemental thread loop may be formed and over which needle loops may be laid by the stitch forming mechanism, means for supporting and constraining the implement, and mechanism cooperating with the hook and needle, whereby the supplemental thre d loops and the needle loops may be shed by the implement in the direction of the feed of the fabric.

8. In a crochet machine including a needle, a crochet hook and feeding devices, an elongated controlling horn having a reciprocatory movement in the direction of its length into position to intercept and hold the stitches against the longitudinal movement of the crochet hock while the said hook is slipped through the said stitches for a portion of its length, and to Withdraw from engagement with the said stitches in a direction transverse to the path of the hook and opposite to the direction of the machines feed and means for supporting, carrying and reciprocating the horn.

9. In a crochet machine including a needle, a crochet hook, feeding devices and a chaining finger having an operative end extending in the direction of the machines feed and around which end stitches may be formed; the combination of a stitch con trolling implement, the stitch engaging portion of which consists of a single curved and tapering horn, which horn is mounted to reciprocate lengthwise above the chaining finger with its point orfree end extending in the direction in which the operative end of the chaining finger extends and adjacent thereto, the path. of reciprocation of the said horn piercing, at a point within the limits of the path "of the hook, the plane in which the said path lies, and means for carrying and actuating the implement; whereby the stitches that are formed simultaneously around the chaining finger and the horn by the coiiperaticn therewith ofthe needle and crochet hook, may be shed by the action of the feed.

10. in combination in a crochet machine including an eye pointed needle, a needle plate, a chaining finger, a crochet hook and feeding mechanism, a stitch controlling implement the stitch engaging portion of which consists of a single continuous elongated horn mounted to reciprocate lengthwise in a path conforming to the form of the longitucinal axis of the said horn, the longitudinal extent of the said horn and the path of movement thereof being disposed in a direction transverse to the path of the hook and in the direction of the line of feed; and mechanism for reciprocating the implement: whereby the horn, during its reciprocatory movements, will be extended over the thread of loops carried by the chaining finger and between the hook and the said chaining finger while the hook is passing thereover, substantially as and tor the purposes herein set forth.

11. In a machine of the class described embodying a stitch forming mechanism including a chaining finger, the combination of a reciprocatory stitch controlling implement extended in the line of its reciprocation,'a carrier for the implement, means for supporting and constraining the carrier, and actuating mechanism embodying a crank journaled in a block having sliding engagement with a slotted yoke in the implement carrier, whereby the stitch engaging portion of the stitch controlling implement may be longitudinally advanced into position to engage formed stitch loops and to take part in the formation of new loops. and whereby the said portion oi the implement may be longitudinally withdrawn from the said position; all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

12. In a crochet machine including a reciprocating eye pointed needle, a crochet hook, a needle plate, a chaining finger and feeding mechanism that is adapted to advance the fabric only once to a given number of complete cycles of the stitch or loop forming mechanism; and in combination therewith, an elongated stitch controlling thereby, substantially as shown and 7 deimplement mounted to reciprocate longitud-iscribed. nally between the path of the crochet hook V r and the chaining finger and above the'nee- L I dle plate to hold back the loops upon the Witnesses:

crochet hook during the advance stroke 7 W. A. W. STE ART,

thereof and to regulate the loops formed GEORGE ALLEN PAGE.

Copies of this patent niay beobtained for five cents each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

